Vintage & Waterproof

No general opinion, it depends on the case (corrosion or not), the crystal and the crown. FWIW with a new tube, crown, crystal and a case in good shape I have a waterproof tested up to 5 bars Seamaster 2975 (snap on back, not even a diver).

A 50s or 60s watch with original crown gasket, crystal and (worn) tube and some pitting under the caseback will leak and let moisture enter at some point.

Agreed. And as ridiculous as it sounds, I don't even let my serviced and waterproof tested PloProf get wet. Embarrassing really, but that's just how my mindset has become.

Basically “vintage” and “waterproof” are mutually exclusive.

First, it's a good idea to separate emotion and what people "would do" and what they "feel comfortable with" from the actual technical discussion of what's possible. Adding in the emotions tends to skew the discussion away from facts.

Technically speaking, if the watch case is in good condition (not a lot of corrosion or pitting) and the watch was designed to have water resistance in the first place, there's usually no reason why that water resistance could not be restored to the original specs. Here's a vintage Seamaster from approx. 1958 that has a non-screw down crown, and snap on case back - before service and after:



Failed pressure testing when it arrived:



Passed after the service - 0.4 bar vacuum, and +3 bar pressure:



The work to the case included changing the crystal, the case back seal, the case tube, and the crown. I suspect this watch is as water resistant now as it was when it left the Omega factory 60+ years ago.

Here is a Rolex 1680 Red Sub from 1972 that I just finished servicing:



The only case parts that were replaced where the seals, and it passed pressure testing, so with a vacuum of -0.7 bar, and a pressure of +10 bar (100 meters):



But I've also had watches that no matter how many parts you replace...seals, pushers, crowns...the watch will still not pass.

So a blanket statement on way or another isn't the way to approach this. Each watch needs to be looked at for the condition, and only then can a determination be made if it can be made water resistant again. In some cases, the only way to know is to try, and most of the time it works out, at least in my experience.

What each individual watch owner does with the water resistance a watch might have, is very much a personal decision, and how they view risk.

Cheers, Al

Mine came to me like this, generic plexi and the crown 😲 :


Might as well do the full monty in this case. Even if I don't intend to get it wet.

No one in this thread but you is suggesting such a thing...the OP referenced washing hands and essentially accidental exposure...

So when we have a thread about shock resistance of vintage watches in everyday use, I'll expect you to come in and advise people not to use them as a hammer. 👍